Standard Soil Methods for Long-Term Ecological Research

This second volume in the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network Series provides a standardized set of protocols for measuring soil properties. Its goal is to facilitate cross-site synthesis and evaluation of ecosystem processes. It is the first broadly based compendium of methods and will be an invaluable resource for ecologists, agronomists, and soil scientists.

Standard Soil Methods for Long-Term Ecological Research

Description

Standardized methods and measurements are crucial for ecological research, particularly in long-term ecological studies where the projects are by nature collaborative and where it can be difficult to distinguish signs of environmental change from the effects of differing methodologies. This second volume in the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network Series addresses these issues directly by providing a comprehensive standardized set of protocols for measuring soil properties. The goal of the volume is to facilitate cross-site synthesis and evaluation of ecosystem processes. Chapters cover methods for studying physical and chemical properties of soils, soil biological properties, and soil organisms, and they include work from many leaders in the field. The book is the first broadly based compendium of standardized soil measurement methods and will be an invaluable resource for ecologists, agronomists, and soil scientists.

Standard Soil Methods for Long-Term Ecological Research

Reviews and Awards

"Sure an old farmer can taste the dirt and tell whether to plant cotton or corn, but scientists working on studies that may stretch over decades and will probably include other people need some uniformity in how they take measurements and record the results. So in 1996 a group of scientists began developing a set of common protocols that could be used to characterize the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil and soil organisms from disparate sites ranging from tundra permafrost to desert aridosols, and with the land use ranging from annual cropping systems to old-growth forest. Their report also includes protocols for soil sampling, preparation, archiving, and quality control and for characterizing sites and landscapes for ecological studies."--SciTechBook News